</s>AL 44-493 ALL OFFICES PLEASE NOTE: Bureau teletype to All. Continental Offices, 4/9/68, stated that all laundries should be contacted in an effort to identify that tape on the shorts and a shirt believed to have been abandoned by UNSUB. The nextile Marking Machine Company has advised that the above and a list of items that would be used to produce the above listed states which would be capable of producing the laundry mark on the garments. This company advised that that the tapes on the garment's parts are clearly exclusively and that tapes are the garments machine in the world which could have produced the tapes. Further note, the following names and address with telephone numbers of sales representatives of Textile Markings Machine Company covering the above territories: DICK BRISTON 3462 N.W. 13th Ave. Telephone FR-1290 Covering Florida, Alabama, Georgia, South Carolina and Southern Mississippi. JOE COMBS 5232 Devonshire Hills, 2148-5127 Telephone Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, Telephone, 2248-5137 W. Virginia, Virginia, North Carolina, Eastern Tennessee and Eastern Kentucky. FRED WEBER Skylark Lane Skylarks, L.I.A. N.Y. Telephone 751-2135 Covering Metropolitan New York City, New Jersey, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont. Upstate New York Inquiries should be referred to Textile Marketing Machine Co ., Syracuse, N. Y ., Telephone 1446-8110. -55- 2025 RELEASE UNDER E.O. 14176

Summary  
The document details an FBI investigation into the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on April 4, 1968. A search of premises believed occupied by the unidentified subject (UNSUB) who assassinated King uncovered a shirt and undershorts bearing a laundry mark with thermo-seal tape manufactured by Textile Marking Machine Co., Inc., Syracuse, N.Y. The tape’s unique characteristics—such as varying point sizes (15-point for first two characters, 18-point for last three), inconsistent lengths due to a defective machine, and red tape with black lettering—were analyzed. The FBI requested contact information for Textile Marking Machine Company sales representatives to trace potential sources of the tape. A list of laundry businesses in California was compiled, including serial numbers and addresses, as part of efforts to identify the origin of the laundry mark.  

Key People  
- Textile Marking Machine Co., Inc. (manufacturer of thermo-seal tape)  
- Dick Briston, Joe Combs, Fred Weber, Jack Cody, Pete Wukovichi, AL Davis, Fred Raupak (sales representatives for Textile Marking Machine Company covering specific regions)  
- FBI personnel (involved in the investigation and coordination with laundries)  

Key Locations  
- Regions covered by sales representatives: California, Nevada, Oregon, Washington, etc.  
- Laundry businesses in California (e.g., Anaheim, Los Angeles, Santa Clara, San Diego, etc.)  
- Louisiana (New Orleans, Kenner)  

Key Events  
- Search for premises occupied by the UNSUB who assassinated Dr. King on April 4, 1968.  
- Analysis of laundry tape found on clothing, leading to consultation with Textile Marking Machine Co.  
- Compilation of a list of California laundries and their serial numbers as part of the investigation.  
- Note in Louisiana about Pellerman Laundery Machinery Sales Co. switching from Thermo-Seal to Poly-Mark sales.  

Key Organizations  
- Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)  
- Textile Marking Machine Co., Inc.  
- Various laundry businesses in California (e.g., Lido Cleaners, Mar-Dean Laundry, Sanitary Golden West Laundary, etc.)  
- Pellerman Laundery Machinery Sales Co. (Louisiana)  
- Hughes Laundroom Machinery Co. (mentioned in second summary)  
- Laundry and dry cleaning businesses listed across multiple states (e.g., Superior Laundry, Swiss Cleaners & Laundrys, Troy Laundromy & Cleanners, ABC Cleaners, Barclay Cleaners, etc.)

MLK Declassified Files

44-ho-1509_sec_001_ser_1-60-part_7_of_9.pdf

Document Summary

Try AI Search